Courtesy of Jim Dunn
This photo displays the tarmac in front of CFB Cold Lake's control tower with a multi-national Aircraft exhibit. From left to right are a USAF C-130 Hercules Aircraft, a CF-104 Starfighter, a CF-5 Freedom Fighter, a CF-101 Voodoo, a USAF S-61R Sea King , a USAF F-15 Eagle, a USAF A-7 Corsair, a USN A-4 Skyhawk, a USAF HH-53 "Jolly Green Giant", and a CF-5 Freedom Fighter in Aggressor Squadron markings (operations in the new tower started in 1975).
A couple of stories about the first Maple Flag. The Americans were introduced to Crud and were routinely soundly beaten by the Canadians. The American "intelligence network" went into action, and when aircrews were rotated to and from the States after the first two weeks, the fresh faces not only knew how to play Crud, they were well practiced and proficient. The Crud table had been levelled.
Since normal day flying continued along with the Maple Flag operation, 50 plus locals were usually airborne (AM & PM), along with Maple Flag launches and recoveries of 50 plus (AM & PM); the tower staff earned their pay. I had an IFR arrival, and since it looked somewhat busy close-in, started calling the tower at 15 miles. After several calls and no response, at 10 miles I asked the pilot, (F-8), if he had the field in site. When he replied in the affirmative, I told him about the heavy VFR traffic and suggested that I could "spin" him around for another approach, or he could keep his head up, be alert, watch for other aircraft and contact the tower because the tower wasn't talking to me. He cancelled IFR.
I left the RATCON one morning after a night shift. Since the weather was WOXOF, nothing was moving on the base, and nothing was on the "board" IFR when I had left the RATCON. Just as I came around the end of runway 12L, a cloud of aluminum overcast roared low overhead, barely visible through the murk. GCI had "inserted" a B-52 into the range, and since Maple Flag operations were on hold, he did a practice run on the base.
Updated: April 17, 2005